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Thursday, February 26, 2015

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

I’m not much of a fan of
vampires, but I really chuckled during What
We Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary about four vampires who are flat mates
in Wellington, New Zealand.I was
a fan of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords
for a two years, with Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie.Now, Clement and Taika Waititi
(writers, directors, producers, and stars of this production) have created a
similar show in terms of its wit and dry—sometimes black—humor.

We
get a clue right from the beginning when the story opens with an alarm ringing at
6:00 (pm), and a hand reaching out of a casket to turn it off.This is Viago (Waititi), the more
fastidious mate, who will awaken the others for a flat meeting.It seems that Deacon (Brugh) hasn’t
washed the dishes for five years, and that is his assigned chore.Vladislav (Clement) sides with Viago in
pressuring Deacon to do his job, stating that it’s embarrassing to bring guests
into the apartment with the dishes, splattered with blood, piled up to the
ceiling.Deacon’s defense is that
the guests are going to be killed anyway, so what the f---, but Viago and Vlad
are insistent.The fourth mate is
Petyr (Ben Fransham) who is 8,000 years old and lives in the basement in a
crypt.He has just bitten Nick
(Macuer), turning him into vampire who will be a thorn in the flesh for the
others throughout the rest of the story, his main problem being that he blabs
to everyone about being a vampire.

Another
funny vein throughout the story is that the vampires—who normally want to have
their identities hidden—have agreed to have a documentary made about them, so a
camera is following them everywhere.Of course, Nick brings this up when they tell him to stop bragging.

Excitement
builds as everyone is looking forward to the annual Unholy Masquerade in the
Cathedral of Despair, but Vlad goes into a rage when someone else is announced
as the guest of honor.He stays
home to pout while the others take off in splendid costumes.(Since they can’t see their images in a
mirror, they have to consult the others about what to wear).Once again, Nick creates a problem by
bringing his human friend Stu along, endangering his life, of course.This creates a stir at the gala when
the vampires realize they have a human in their midst, whereupon in strides
Vlad in full costume ready to take on the special guest with whom he shares a
chaotic past.

When
things get truly out of hand, the mates, who have developed a fondness for Stu
despite their normally cold hearts, make a hasty departure, only to encounter
werewolves lying in wait for them. This transitioning from one situation to another, each with its
dilemmas and contradictions, makes for an entertaining, delightful show.